Swimming pool cover



Oct. 3, 1967 s. LANGER SWIMMING POOL COVER Filed Nbv. 16. 1965 F/GZ INVENIOR. 3oz [AA/55% mam United States Patent 3,344,440 SWIMMING POOL COVER Sol Langer, Scotch Plains, N.J., assignor to Andrey Products, Inc., East Orange, N..l., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Nov. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 508,081 Claims. (Cl. 4-172) The present invention relates generally to covers for plastic pools or the like, and more particularly to certain improvements in a pool cover which facilitates the fitting of the cover on a pool distorted out-o-f-shape.

Although a swimming pool fabricated of plastic or a similar construction material may initially be made in a true geometric shape, distortion occasioned by use can be expected to change this shape. Thus, a rectangular shaped pool may distort into a rhomboid, and an initially substantially circular pool may exhibit substantial outof-rouud distortion. The pool cover is usually made in a shape corresponding to that of the pool and since it is not distorted in use, it soon provides a poor fit with a pool distorted in shape.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved pool cover which maintains a proper fit with the pool despite shape distortion of the pool. Since the improvements constituting the invention hereof will be recognized as being obviously applicable to any shape pool cover, the description thereof in connection with a circular pool cover is not intended as a limitation on the invention but merely as exemplary of the application thereof to a popular shape of pool cover.

A pool cover demonstrating features of the present invention includes a body, fabricated of an appropriate material and of a shape generally conforming to that of the pool to be covered, and having plural pool-engaging means secured about the peripheral edge of the pool cover body. The arrangement of these pool engaging means is more particularly in concentric locations along the body peripheral edge such that, despite shape distortion of the pool, engagement can be selectively made between those of the pool-engaging means and the edge of the pool which align with each other during the fitting of'the cover over the pool. In this manner, proper fit can be maintained between the cover and the pool despite change in shape of the pool.

The above brie-f description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pool cover demonstrating features of the present invention fitted over a typically out-of-round pool;

FIG. 2 diagrammatically illustrates the out-of-round distortion of the pool;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the pool cover, as seen from below;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view, on an enlarged scale and in section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3, illustrating details of construction of the pool-engaging means of the pool cover;

FIG. 5 is an elevational sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1, showing the pool-engaging means of the pool cover in engagement with the edge of the pool;

FIG. 6 is an elevational sectional view taken on line 66 of FIG. 1 which is similar to FIG. 5 but illustrates pool engagement by another location of pool-engaging means of the pool cover; and

FIG. 7 is an elevational sectional view taken on line 7 7 of FIG. 1 showing still another location of poolengaging means of the pool cover in engagement with the edge of the pool.

Reference is now made to the drawings wherein there is shown a pool cover, generally designated 10, demonstrating features of the present invention. The cover 10 is circular in shape and in practice is placed over a similary shaped pool 12 to keep the pool interior clean during non-use of the pool. As is generally the practice, the pool 12 includes a circular upstanding plastic wall 14 which has an upper rounded edge construction 16. As may be best appreciated by FIGS. 1, 2, as Often happens an out-of-round distortion occurs in the pool 12 as a result of use and thereby complicates the fitting of the pool cover 10 along the pool edge 16. In other words, the pool edge 16 instead of defining a perfectly round geometric shape having a diameter D is distorted in shape, having in some areas a diameter D-1 and in other areas a diameter D-2.

The construction of the pool cover 10 according to the present invention makes provision for out-of-round pool distortion and maintains proper fit thereof even with a distorted pool 12. The pool cover 10 includes a main body 18 preferably fabricated in an open mesh construction with plastic yarn so that the pool interior is ventilated through the interstices of this mesh construction. The pool body 18 has a peripheral area or edge, herein generally designated 20. As best shown in FIG. 3, secured in three concentric locations along the peripheral edge 20 are folded strips 22 of tightly woven plastic fabric, each strip being secured in this spaced concentric location by an attaching seam 24. A plurality of pool-engaging means in the preferred form of hooks 26 are circumferentially spaced about each of the strips 22. Each hook 26 has an appropriate configuration at one end for being hooked about the pool edge 16 and is connected, as at 28, to the strip 22 by being disposed through an eyelet 36 positioned in the strip.

By a comparison of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, it can be readily seen that despite the out-of-round distortion in the pool wall 14 that the cover 10 is nevertheless in engagement with the pool edge 16 to properly cover the pool 12. This is achieved by selectively engaging the pool edge 16 with whatever hooks 26 in the respective concentric arrangements of these hooks happens to align with the pool edge 16 during the fitting of the pool cover 10 over the pool 12.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

What is claimed is:

1. A swimming pool cover comprising a body portion having a peripheral edge and plural pool-rim-engaging means secured about said peripheral edge, said pool-rimengaging means being arranged concentrically about and inwardly of each other along said peripheral edge such that engagement can be selectively made between those of said pool-engaging means and the edge of a pool which align with each other during the fitting of said cover over the pool, whereby proper fit is possible even when the pool is distorted from the original configuration due to age and usage.

2. A swimming pool cover as defined in claim 1 which is preferably circular in shape and wherein said poolrim-engaging means are arranged in concentric circles along the peripheral edge of the cover.

3. A swimming pool cover as defined in claim 2 wherein the pool-rim-engaging means are preferably hooks.

4. A swimming pool cover as defined in claim 3 wherein said hooks are secured to said cover by being connected to strips arranged in concentric locations about the peripheral edge of the cover body.

5. A swimming pool cover as defined in claim 4 wherein said hooks are circumferentially spaced about and connected to each of said strips.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Port 150-52 Waters 150-52 Goodrich 4-172 West 41'72 Langer 4172 SAMUEL ROTHBERG, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SWIMMING POOL COVER COMPRISING A BODY PORTION HAVING A PERIPHERAL EDGE AND PLURAL POOL-RIM-ENGAGING MEANS SECURED ABOUT SAID PERIPHERAL EDGE, SAID POOL-RIMENGAGING MEANS BEING ARRANGE CONCENTRICALLY ABOUT AND INWARDLY OF EACH OTHER ALONG SAID PERIPHERAL EDGE SUCH THAT ENGAGEMENT CAN BE SELECTIVELY MADE BETWEEN THOSE OF SAID POOL-ENGAGING MEANS AND THE EDGE OF A POOL WHICH ALIGN WITH EACH OTHER DURING THE FITTING OF SAID COVER OVER THE POOL, WHEREBY PROPER FIT IS POSSIBLE EVEN WHEN THE POOL IS DISTORTED FROM THE ORIGINAL CONFIGURATION DUE TO AGE AND USAGE. 